Cushion support



Feb. 1, 1949. om- E 2,460,596

" CUSHION SUPPORT Filed Sept. 16, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 1, 194. RC. ROCHE CUSHION SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 16, 1944 Patented Feb. 1, 19 49 CUSHION surroa'r Paul C. Roche, Erie, Pa", assignor to Lord Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 16, 1944, Serial No. 554,404

7 Claims. (Cl. 248-358) The present invention is designed to provide a cushion support for devices such as chairs or seats for automobiles or airplanes which are subjected not only to the weight of the person using the chair but to shocks and vibration.

The object of my invention is to provide asimple and rugged cushion support. 'Further objects and advantages will appear in the specification and claims.

In the-accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a chair in the unloaded position; Fig. 2 is a similar view with the chair in the loaded position; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one side of the chair support; Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views on line 4-4 and 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one the rubber joints Fig. 7 is a sectional view on lines l-| of Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the chair having a double rubber joint support; Figs 9, 10 and 11 are sectional views on lines 9--9, Ill-l0, and li-li of Fig. 8; and Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation of a modification of the rubber joint construction.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a chair i supported at each side by crossed arms 2 connected between brackets 3 fixed to the under side of the chair'and bracketsl" fixed to the supporting surface. The connections between the arms 2 and the brackets 3 are made by pins 5. The opposite ends of the arms 2 are connected to the brackets 4 through rubber joints comprising spaced metal plates 6 connected by rubber I bonded to the opposed faces of the plates. The

rubber .joints are mounted on opposite sides of the brackets 4, one of the plates being fixed to the bracket and the other being fixed to the arm.

In the unloaded position the arms 2 are inclined upwardly from the horiztontal, and in the loaded position the arms are inclined downwardly from the horizontal, the angles of inclination being substantially equal for normal load. As the arms pass the horizontal, there must necessarily be forward and backward movement of the plates 6 attached to the supporting arms, which movement is accommodated by shear of the rubber. The vertical movement of the chair is resisted by torsional shear deflection of the softness in the plane of the arms is also useful for cushioning horizontal vibrations.

When the chair is loaded, in addition to the torsional movement of the plates 6 attached to the supporting arms, there is also a vertical movement causing shear deflection of the rubber under the chair load. This vertical movement, indicated in Fig. 2, is insufficient to effect the torsional resistance of the mounting. Because there is not much vertical movement it is unnecessary to make the rubber mountings so that the plates attached to the supporting arms will be displaced above the other plates in the unloaded condition and will be brought into opposed relation under load.

When the chairs are used in airplanes or automobiles where there may he shook loading of several times the magnitude of the direct load,

stop bolts 8 may be provided, fixed to one of the plates 6 of the mounting and extending through a tapered clearance hole 9 in the rubber and a clearance hole iii in the opposite plate. In Fig. 4 the stop bolt is shown attached to the lower end of the supporting arm and in Fig. 5 the stop bolt is shown attached to the supporting bracket 4.

In the modification shown in Figs. 8 to 11, the rubber joints at the lower ends of the supporting arms 2 consist of plates ii on opposite sides of an enlarged section I! at the lower ends of .the

supporting arm with rubber disks l3 molded to the opposed faces of the plates an'd supporting arm. Because the supporting arm is held between the rubber disks, there is less tendency 'for the arm to tilt. The rubber mountings can be made of smaller diameter, which may be important in some applications to save space. The plates ii of the mounting are fixed between the sides l4 of U-shaped brackets i5 fixed to the supporting surface. Stop bolts it are fixed to the sides of the bracket and extend through clearance holes il in the mounting. Exceptfor the changes in the mounting construction, the operation is the same as in the previously described construction.

In Fig. 12 is shown a mounting which may be substitutedfor that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This mounting consists of opposed flat and conical plates i1 and IS with rubber i9 bonded to the opposed surfaces. The thickness of the rubber increases toward the outside so that the shear loading of the rubber under torsional stress is uniform. The flat plate I1 is shown connected to the supporting bracket 4, and the conical plate I8 is connected to the lower end of the supporting arm 2 in a manner not shown. A stop bolt 20 is fixed to the bracket ti and extends through a,

clearance opening it in the plate it and in the rubber.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a support, crossed toad supporting arms 5. In a support, crossed load supporting arms for connection between a load and its support, pivotioints at each end of the arms and on opposite sides of the crossover forming the load transmitting connections, one of the Joints comprising opposed surfaces extending along and spaced apart perpendicular to .the plane or the arms with rubber therebetween and fixed to the opposed surfaces.

6. In a support, crossed load supporting arms for connection between a load and its support,

' pivot Joints at each end oi the arms and on opangulariy and length wise oi the arms, and an element of rubber like material between and fixed to the joint members resisting the relative movements of the joint members.

2. In a support, crossed load supporting arms having load transmitting connections at opposite sides of the crossover for connection between a load and its support, the connections at one end of each of said arms comprising pivot joints, and the connections at the other ends of said arms comprising torsion joints having opposed surfaces extending along and spaced apart perpendicular to the plane of the arms with rubber therebetween and fixed to the opposed surfaces.

3. In a support, crossed load supporting arms having load transmitting connections at opposite sides of the crossover for connection between a load and its support, the connections at one end of each of said arms comprising pivot joints, and the connections at the other ends of said arms comprising torsion spring joints yieldingly resisting movement of the arms in all directions in the plane of the arms, said torsion Joints comprising opposed joint members relatively movable in all directions in the plane of the arm, and an element or rubber like material between and fixed to the Joint members resisting the relative movements of the Joint members. 1

4. In a support, crossed load supporting arms having load transmitting connectionsat opposite sides of the crossover for connection between a load and its support; the connections. atone end of each of said arms comprising pivot joints, and the connections at the other ends of said arms comprising torsion spring joints resisting angular movement of the arms, said torsion joints comprising opposed joint members relatively movable angularly and lengthwise oithe arms. and an element of rubber like material between and fixed to the joint members resisting the relative movements of thejoint members the Joints being arranged so the Joints connected to the arms with rubber therebetween and fixed to the load move from above to below one of the ioints connected tothe supportas the loadhisgpplied.

posite sides of the crossover forming the load transmitting connections, one of the joints comprising opposed surfaces extending along and spaced apart perpendicular to the plane 0! the arms with rubber therebetween and fixed to the opposed surfaces, said arms being positioned under no load conditions with the load joints above the support Joints and under load with the load joints below the support Joints.

7. In a support, crossed load supporting arms for connection between a. load and its support, pivot joints at each end oi the arms and on opposite sides of the crossover forming the load transmittingconnections, one of the Joints comprising opposed surfaces extending along and spaced apart perpendicular to the plane oi. the

opposed surfaces, and a bolt fixed to one of said surfaces and extending through a clearance hole in the rubber and the other surface providing a safety limit for the Joint deflection.

' PAUL C. ROCHE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,732,647 Flintermann Oct. 22, 1929 1,775,517 Flintermann Sept. 9, 1930 1,769,434 Jones July 1, 1930 1,875,500 Roeder Sept. 6, 1932 2,033,721 Liron et al. Mar. 10, 1936 2,073,872 Kliesrath Mar. 16, 1937 2,201,450 Nordmark May 21, 1940 H 2,277,875 Macbeth Mar. 31, 1942 2,280,298 Nordr'nark Apr. 21, 1942 2,301,903 Flader Nov. 10, 1942 2,303,567 McWhorter et a1. Dec. 1, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7 352,698 Germany Nov. 7, 1920 

